PART 1: THE FINAL STRAW Chapter 1: The Uninvited Guest Eighteen hours of labor pains had drained the very last ounce of my…
PART 1: THE UNINVITED CRASHER Chapter 1: The Pinnacle of Fame The Grand Ballroom of The Drake Hotel, Chicago, shone tonight like a…
PART 1: THE MIDNIGHT GHOST Chapter 1: The Man Who Never Sleeps Julian Thorne never slept before three in the morning. It was…
PART 1: WHISPERS BEHIND THE DOOR Chapter 1: The House by the Lake My brother Ethan’s funeral took place on a pouring rainy…
PART 1: A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL Chapter 1: The Contract of Sale Rain poured relentlessly onto the streets of Manhattan, washing away…
PART 1: BLIZZARD AND FROZEN HEARTS Chapter 1: The Slamming Door The sound of the heavy oak door slamming shut behind me echoed…
PART 1: THE ABYSS AND THE SAVING HAND Chapter 1: Darkness Under the Golden Gate San Francisco at night is not as romantic…
PART 1: A BOLD PROPOSAL Chapter 1: The Room of Death The clock on the wall struck exactly midnight. Outside, a Nor’easter storm…
PART 1: THE 2:47 AM CALL Chapter 1: The Ring in the Night The landline in my bedroom rang. A piercing sound, tearing…